Summary: Rory confesses to Logan that she fears their marriage is boring. To help escape the monotony, Logan plans a romantic, fun night in the city like the kind they had in their youth. However the night doesn't go as planned, and the two get more excitement then they bargained for. A Gilmore Girls version of the movie Date Night.
AN: This is the third story in my Once Upon a Christmas series. It is not necessary to read those two stories in advance, but they do all flow together. Same reasons as before – I just want Rory and Logan to be happy with their baby after all ASP did to them. My trash ship got back together in my mind.
Disclaimer: The words are mine. The characters and plot are not.
Date Night
Chapter One: The Way We Were
"But why?"
Rory ran her palm over her eyes, sweeping back her bangs in exasperation. Her nine-year-old daughter sat across from her, the girl's sad blue eyes pleading with her mother to change her mind. "Emma, we've been over this before. Just because Susanna invites you over for a sleepover, it doesn't automatically mean you can stay. You have to clear it with the adults first. Plus, it's a school night," Rory explained gently.
"Her mom could have taken me to school!"
"This just wasn't a good night. You do have plans for the weekend, remember that," Rory added, grabbing the plates off the table and walking to the kitchen sink.
"It's not fair," Emma declared, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair.
"Emma, stop being such a baby," chimed in Rory's twelve-year-old son Alex. "It's not the end of the world," he said as his fingers tapped against his tablet.
"I'm not a baby, you dork!"
"You're acting like one. Wah wah," mimicked her son in a wail.
"I do not sound like that!"
"Wah wah wah –"
"Alex, please don't do that," Rory chided with a pointed look.
"Whatever," he mumbled, getting out of his chair.
From the corner of her eye, Rory could see her daughter stick out her tongue at her brother as he passed by.
"How mature, Emma," he said with a scoff.
"Weirdo."
"Baby."
"Kids, don't call each other names, please," Rory admonished with a shake of her head.
"Fine." Alex rolled his eyes, walking into the family room.
"Why won't you let me go?" Emma whined once more.
"Emma, her mom said no, too."
"It's still dumb." Emma slid out of her seat, her temper flaring. "You're no fun," she muttered under her breath, turning to stomp out of the kitchen.
"Emma," Rory began, waiting for her daughter to pause and meet her eyes. "This weekend is not set in stone, either. You're walking a very fine line," she warned.
Emma scuffed her shoes against the floor. "I'm sorry, mom," she mumbled, her eyes downcast.
"Things are not always going to go your way. Now is your homework done?"
"No." Rory tilted her head, her eyebrows raised. "I'll go do it," Emma corrected, before turning around and heading up the stairs.
Rory glanced at the clock on the stove – almost half past seven. Logan was late again, missing tonight's family dinner. She knew he hated it, but there had been a small crisis at work. These last few weeks he went in early and returned home late, with every night his shoulders slumped and a haggard look on his face. He promised years ago he'd never become his father, and he was true to his word, but Rory knew that any time he had to stay late weighed heavily on him. However Logan still managed to make every game, every recital and every other childhood event, something Rory reminded him every time he began to wonder if he was doomed to repeat the past.
She packed away the take-out containers and tidied up the kitchen, relief flooding her body as she heard the garage door open and close. Her husband walked in shortly after, dropping his keys and briefcase in the entryway before leaning against the door jamb.
"Hey you," greeted Rory with a smile, drying her hands on the kitchen towel.
"Hey," Logan replied, his eyes brighter as he looked at his wife.
"Will the world survive another day?"
"It should. I used my superpowers. Will Smith stopped by, just for backup," he joked as he took off his jacket.
"They should make you into a comic."
"Now that would be something: media mogul by day, superhero by night. It seems familiar. What do you think, Lois?" he said with a grin as he walked over to stand next to his wife.
"You're not tall enough, but you've got the glasses now. Just learn to fly, please, so you can make it home for dinner with us," she quipped, though there was truth in her words.
Logan gave her a wan smile before walking to the sink to wash his hands. "Will do. I'm glad to be home, though. Traffic was a nightmare. What did I miss?"
"Well, if tonight is anything to go by, the teenage years should be fun."
He grimaced as he turned his head to look at her. "What happened?"
"Alex and Emma were just their usual selves," she brushed off with a slight shrug.
"Still, I'm sorry I missed," he said, drying his hands and leaning against the counter.
"Your Mu Shu pork is in the fridge."
"Ooh. With some egg rolls?"
"Of course."
He grinned. "You're the best," he said, before leaning down to give her a kiss. His hands came to rest on her waist as he drew back, leaning his forehead against her own.
"Hi," he greeted.
Rory smiled, her hand reaching up to rest on his cheek. "Hi." They kissed again, her hand moving into his hair.
"Dad!" Alex exclaimed, interrupting his parents' private moment.
The two adults paused. Logan breathed deeply before stepping back and greeting his son. "Hey, kid."
"Can you help me with my web project? It's due tomorrow and there's just one thing I don't understand," Alex asked, pointing to his tablet.
"Sure. I'll come up to your room after I eat dinner."
"Great, thanks," Alex said before running back out of the room.
A grumble echoed through the kitchen, and Rory looked at her husband in alarm. "Was that your stomach? Sounded like an animal."
"I'm hungry," he whined before leaning down and giving her another peck. "Later," he whispered against her lips.
"Promise?"
His only reply was a mischievous smirk.
Later that evening, Rory finally trudged into the bedroom after turning off the house lights and making sure the doors were locked. Logan headed up earlier and Rory was slightly eager, her husband's promise from earlier repeating in her mind as they both looked after the kids. She found him lying down on his side facing away from her, a book propped up on the bed, his one hand holding it steady.
Rory slid under the covers, laughing silently to herself. He would find it funny to pretend not to notice her right now. "Hey, lover," she teased, propping her head on her hand as she looked at his back.
No response. She frowned. The moment was losing its humor.
"Logan?" she asked, poking his shoulder.
He snorted, the book he'd propped up falling over on the mattress.
She lifted herself over his body to look in his face. He was dead to the world – probably fell asleep while reading the first page. She gently lifted the book out of his hands, placing it off to the side. She reached over to turn off his lamp, before settling back on her side of the bed.
Rory curled on her side, catching a glimpse of the photo on her bedside table. It was the old photo from the Life and Death Brigade party, where they had jumped off the scaffolding together. She gazed at it wistfully, noting the happiness shining on their faces. She closed her eyes and settled into slumber, thoughts of days long passed replaying in her mind.
Saturday night arrived. It was date night, a tradition they had started when the kids were young. Just a night for the two of them, where they'd dress up, head out to eat at a restaurant in town, and enjoy each other's company. Much to their disappointment, these nights occurred less often as the kids got older, family responsibilities taking up more of their free time. But in a rare event, it was just the two of them for the whole night – the kids were off spending the night with their friends. Rory was determined to make the most of the time alone. She wore a lovely new cocktail dress with a soft, blue sweater that set off her eyes, while he wore a dark suit sans tie. Despite the years he was still as handsome as ever, and Rory still caught herself staring at him, amazed at how well he wore a suit. Rory caught a whiff of his aftershave in the car, the scent invoking memories of previous romantic encounters. It never failed to send a shiver down her spine.
They went to their usual place – Tony's – a hole-in-the-wall Italian eatery that reminded them of their special New Haven spot. No Chianti glasses were hanging from the ceiling, but there were old family photos from Italy lining the wall. They slid into their usual booth and ordered their usual wine while giving friendly hellos to the workers as they walked by.
"Oh, if it isn't my favorite duo!"
"Hello, Tony," Rory greeted, smiling up at the older man when he came to stand next to their table.
"What will it be? Your usual?"
Logan grinned from across the table. "What do you think?" At Rory's nod he added, "I think that sounds great, Tony."
Tony walked to kitchen and Logan sat back in his chair, sipping his wine. "So, what else did I miss this week?"
"Alex got a perfect score on his math test. Best in the class."
"He did? That's great." Logan beamed with pride. "On his first test, too, no less. I know he was worried since they put him in the advanced class. Seems like he had no reason to be."
Rory agreed, remembering how nervous Alex was last weekend as he studied. He seemed to share many of his mother's traits when it came to schoolwork. "His mind is just so analytical. He's going to do something in the sciences, I know it."
"Can you imagine, our kid a doctor?"
She could see it easily. For Christmas one year Alex received a microscope kit, and he spent hours collecting specimens from their backyard to create his own slides. "Emma seems to be settling into her new class, too," Rory added. Emma was in the fourth grade and just entering the much-talked-about pre-teen period. Rory secretly worried how her daughter would handle this new phase of her life, as she knew from experience how catty girls could be. But the first month of school had gone well and Emma seemed to be making new friends, so Rory felt as if she could relax.
"Oh, good. Remember we have that parent-teacher conference next week at her elementary school."
Rory nodded but wondered if he could make their appointment because of the problems at his work. He had never missed one so far, but then again, no other crises had taken up so much of his time before. "How's work?" she asked gently, looking for any tells in his response.
"Let's just say there's been some progress."
"Logan, is it that bad?"
He shrugged and gave a deep sigh, suddenly looking ten years older. "It's just been an exhausting nightmare. Not fun. But I'm here with you now, and I'd rather talk about happier things." He gave her a wan smile. "How is your work?"
"Well, you read me stuff," she said nonchalantly, "but yesterday we had a big party for Jillian at the office. She's getting married next weekend. They're going to Aruba for their honeymoon."
"A party? At least it's fun there," he grumbled picking at his napkin. "I feel like my meetings just get longer, days shorter, problems more complicated." He glanced up and met her face, grimacing slightly as he caught her look. "Sorry," he apologized, stopping his rant.
She shrugged. "It's okay." Times were tough and if he needed to vent, she wasn't going to stop him.
Their food arrived at the table and Rory breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful for the end of work talk. They ate silently at first, Rory noting that perhaps he felt as awkward as her. When their plates were almost cleared, she glanced at the side of the restaurant. "What do you think, first date?" she asked once she caught Logan's attention, referring to an old game they played. He followed her gaze to the couple, pulling a face. The man gestured wildly, but the woman opposite him cringed, looking anywhere but him.
"Of course. It's going badly. There won't be a second."
Rory subtly nodded to another couple in a far corner booth, so wrapped up in one another that Rory wondered if they even realized they were in public. The couple held hands over the table, gazing into each other's eye while every so often kissing while they talked. "What about them?"
Logan chuckled as he met her eyes. "Dating, but in the honeymoon, extreme PDA stage."
"They're wearing rings," she countered, catching glimpses of gold as their hands moved under the light.
"Have to be newlyweds."
The man leaned the woman further into their booth, the woman's arms wrapping around his neck. "I can't believe that. This is a family restaurant," she said in disgust.
Logan shrugged, going back to his food. "As long as they're happy, I guess."
"I would never do that."
Logan laughed, glancing at her in amusement. "Ace, I love you. But you've always been shy."
"Would you act like that?" she asked. His eyes fell quickly back to his plate before he could meet her eyes. "Never mind." But she wished he would answer.
Rory looked back over at the couple, watching as they continued to embrace in the dark corner. She remembered what that used to be like, when she and Logan would be so wrapped up in each other that they didn't care who saw. But Logan was right, Rory was always demure, so he kept his affection politely muted when in company. She had a flashback to the Tarantino party in college, where he took her into a corner to kiss her soundly. Rory could still remember the surprise, then the lust as his tongue met hers. She kissed him back in turn, so overcome with longing that she had to restrain herself from jumping him right there.
Moments like that didn't happen anymore.
Rory gazed at him from across the table, her mind racing to find another conversation topic. Logan was still silent and focusing on his plate, apparently intent on clearing it of any remaining sauce. Any work talk was out of the question. They spoke often enough about the kids every day that they were both up to date with their young lives. Television, film, books – was there anything else? Well, she could talk about the new anti-wrinkle cream she bought today. That was sure to keep his attention.
When did they become so old and boring with nothing to talk about?
"Are you finished with your meals?"
Rory jumped at the interruption, nodding when the waiter indicated to her plate.
"I'll go get the check, then."
With their table cleared, Logan could no longer focus on his plate, so he began to tidy up his place setting. His fingers fidgeted on his napkin, his forehead creased as he reached for his wine. He seemed to be looking anywhere but her. Rory wanted him to focus back on her. She searched for a topic – any topic – some news that he may not yet know.
"When I picked up Emma from Susanna's on Wednesday, Jessica told me that she and Tom are getting a divorce," she blurted out.
His hand paused on his glass, looking up to meet her eyes. "Oh, that's too bad."
"I think that's why Susanna keeps inviting her over," she continued. "She must notice a change between her parents. She wants Emma to keep her company."
His fingers traced the wineglass stem. "Are they going to move?"
"Jessica told me they haven't decided what to do. It's still early, but they might." Rory thought back to the coffee she shared with the woman on Wednesday while the kids were upstairs. Jessica seemed excited to move on to a new phase of her life, to get out of her "endless rut." Rory could only stare at her shocked, confused how someone could be so happy to have their entire lives turned upside down. She immediately thought of their daughters and how the kids would handle the news. "Emma will be upset if they do."
"Oh, yeah. She'd be heartbroken," Logan added. The two girls had been close ever since they moved onto the street, the adults becoming friends later, sharing many dinners and neighborhood potlucks together. "Tom hasn't said anything to me, yet."
There was a lull, Logan tapping his fingers against the table. He sighed, leaning back in his chair as he gave her a solemn look. "It must be going around. You know Adam at work? You met him at the company party. Smart kid." He paused to take a sip of his wine. "His wife just left him. Just said she couldn't be married anymore. He found out later that she moved in with a guy from grad school. The kid is crushed."
Their waiter returned, and Logan quickly paid their bill. Rory relaxed, thankful to be leaving the restaurant at last. Logan helped her into her coat and they walked to the car in silence, Rory feeling uncomfortable and awkward as she got into the car to begin the short drive home. She stared out the window watching the familiar landmarks pass by, cursing herself slightly at how gloomy their first date night in weeks had become.
"Logan," Rory said quietly as Logan drove into their neighborhood.
"Hmm?"
She turned to him, watching his profile as he concentrated on the road. "Are we a boring old married couple?"
"What?" He looked at her quickly in confusion, his lips curling into a dazed smile before focusing back on the street.
Rory stared out the windshield, her realization from earlier hitting her at full force. "We are, aren't we?"
He chuckled slightly in baffled amusement. "I don't think so."
Rory stared at her hands as they flattened the ends of her dress. She didn't phrase her comment right, no wonder he was confused. "Other than the kids, do we really have much in common?" she clarified, hoping to make him understand.
"Ace, we have more in common than the kids. We have the pictures and memories to prove it," he answered flatly.
"It feels like we never do anything fun anymore." Like tonight, she thought, watching as he pulled into their driveway, another typical date night over.
"We have two kids and we both work hard. We've been married almost eleven years. We spend time together. We take family vacations. We go out on dates, just the two of us, when we can." The garage door opened and he guided the car inside. His voice was level, though there was a crease to his brow that wasn't there earlier.
"It takes more than that!" she exclaimed.
Logan cut off the ignition, falling back against the seat. He gazed at her, his expression unreadable. "Let's go inside."
They climbed out of the car, walking through the garage and into the house. Logan threw his keys off to the side, following Rory as she walked into the kitchen. Rory immediately went to the coffeemaker, desperate for anything to dissipate the tension growing in the room.
"Rory, what is wrong?" Logan asked softly to her back, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Rory hit the power button several times, her fingers fumbling as her mind raced. She tried to answer several times, each version sounding more ridiculous in her head. She stepped away from his hand, then turned around quickly and exclaimed in a panic, "If we don't fix our problems, we're going to get a divorce!" She slapped a hand over her mouth, her breath catching as she caught his face.
Logan's eyes widened in alarm. He broke her gaze, his eyes falling his feet. He remained silent several moments, his brows furrowed before he said softly, "you're expecting us to get a divorce?"
"When I spoke with Jessica, she said one of the reasons they were separating was that they barely had time for each other anymore," she explained, remembering Jessica's monologue from Wednesday. "It became all about the kids. They didn't do enough things for just the two of them. Their love life suffered until it wasn't there! They fell into such a routine that they were basically only roommates at that point."
He looked slightly hurt. "You think our love life is suffering? What about tonight?"
"To the same restaurants every time, struggling to find topics to discuss?" she countered.
"But I thought you liked going there?"
Of course she did. She liked the familiarity of Tony's. But still, didn't he understand the need for something different? They didn't always need to go there every date night. Well, when they could even have date nights. She had to make him see that they had more problems than the monotony of their relationship. She turned away from him again, reaching into the cabinet for a coffee mug. "You work all the time now, you're always at the office," she added seriously, setting her cup on the counter.
"That's not fair. You know why that is. It's temporary. You get busy too. I'm the one in the busy period now."
"It's not just that, Logan! Is there any romance? What about our sex life?"
With a baffled look on his face, Logan paused, his mouth opening and closing slowly. She could see that he was trying to form a rebuttal, but hadn't uttered a word. Rory chastised herself for her abrupt change in topic, thinking she could have approached it more diplomatically. "We have sex," he gulped out finally, as Rory could picture his mind turning to defend his manhood.
"What about the other night?" she asked pointedly.
"It was a long day and I had been up since five. I could barely hold my eyes open."
"In college, all I had to do was breathe, and there you were! We could lock ourselves away in the apartment for entire weekends."
Logan gave a silent chuckle, shrugging one shoulder as he looked down at himself. "Well, in my defense, I was much fitter then. Still, I think twice a week is pretty good."
"Logan –"
"But hey, I'm up for a challenge. We can do all-nighters like we used to. Kids are out, let's go. Will there be enough coffee?" he added jokingly.
Rory rolled her eyes in exasperation, folding her arms and falling back to lean against the counter. "Do you think it's because we moved to Connecticut?"
"Why does that matter?"
"When we lived in the city, we were always planning fun dates. When you lived there during my senior year, we always had something to do every weekend," she said wistfully, remembering how they took in shows on weekends. "Now we're in suburban hell."
"Rory, we both decided to move back to Connecticut - especially you - because we wanted our kids to have the type of childhood you had."
Ignoring him and his reasoning (even if he was correct), she pushed away from the counter, turning around to fill her coffee cup. She took a sip of her coffee, thinking back to an incident at the party yesterday at work. "When we had that party yesterday, Jillian was going off about all the things she did with her soon-to-be husband. All the trips, all the dates," she trailed off, remembering how envious she was of Jillian's tales.
Logan shrugged in confusion. "Jillian is what, twenty-seven?"
"It doesn't matter," she said, turning around to face him again. "They're spontaneous and fun. They do things just because they want to be together."
"Rory, we're older now. We have limits to our spontaneity," he replied earnestly.
Rory knew there were limits, she wasn't naive. They not only had the kids to think about but also their careers. And she would never give the kids up for anything. But still, shouldn't it be easier to find some time to spend together? "Sometimes I wish we didn't," she mumbled, crossing her arms again and looking down at the floor.
"I mean, I'm all up to steal a boat again. Although I don't think the kids would like to see their parents in the news. It's been twenty years, and your mom still hasn't forgiven me for the first incident."
"Not that type of spontaneity."
"Well, how about this? I'll dust off my tux, see if we can find some scaffolding to jump off," he teased before his face turned serious once more.
"Rory," he began gently, grabbing her hand and looking in her eyes. "Is there something else going on? Did something happen?" he asked solemnly.
Rory bit her lip at the worry in his voice. Looking down at her feet, she stared at the hand holding hers, his ring glinting in the bright kitchen lighting.
"There was an article at work. You know, one of those 'psychologist do a study and list out reasons why relationships don't last' type of things?"
"Oh, I hate those articles," he murmured with a grimace.
"But still, this one hit home. Statistics say half of marriages end in divorce. Look at the people we know, what's been happening around us! We're officially middle-aged, and it's happening more. I listen to our friends' problems and I can't help but wonder, could that be us?"
Rory paused, catching her breath. Rory liked facts, figures, and she liked to plan. As she watched friends' relationships fall apart, she realized there was one thing she never prepared for: a separation, the failing of their marriage. Thoughts of her children ran through her head as she wondered what would happen to them – to herself – if their lives would be uprooted and drastically changed. "I don't want to be a statistic," she added glumly.
"Oh, Ace," he whispered, placing an arm around her waist.
"Hmm?"
"I don't want to be a statistic, either. I want this marriage to work, too, more than anything," he replied earnestly. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have these same fears from time to time."
"Really? You've never told me."
Logan shrugged. "Maybe I should have. I hate that you were internalizing this for so long. We should have talked about it, instead of holding onto this fear."
"I hate that I kind of blew up like this."
"It's been a stressful week for the both of us. We have had our share of moments."
Rory knew it was true – they had a natural desire to debate and argue with each other, but they always made up in the end. "We have."
"But this is for the long haul. I have faith in us," he grinned, drawing her closer to his side.
"You do, huh?"
"We've gotten older, sure. We've slowed down, as much as I hate to admit it. But deep down, we're still us. It wasn't the fun that's kept us together all these years, though it's helped. The friendship and love have always been the glue holding this together," he said, placing his other arm around her waist, bringing her into an embrace.
Rory hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder and breathing into his neck. "I don't want to get a divorce," she murmured.
"And I don't want us to either," he said into her hair, before drawing back to look her in the eyes. "I love you, Ace. But this marriage? It's going to last. We're just going through a down period. It will pick up again. I'll try to find more time for just the two of us. What do you say? We can pass our kids off to others, make them deal with the hellions."
Rory chuckled, resting her forehead against his. "I love you, too."
They kissed slowly, tongues meeting in a practiced dance. Just as Rory reached up to wrap her arms around Logan's neck, a high-pitched wail broke their moment. Thor, their golden retriever, sat at their feet, his tail wagging with excitement.
"I have to take him out," Logan said as Thor whined again.
"Okay."
"Why don't you go upstairs and take a bath?" Logan suggested. "I'll be up shortly with the junk food."
Rory smiled, already thinking of sinking into the warm water and the sweet aroma of bath soaps. "Mmm. Sounds good."
"What do you think? We can have our own personal movie night. No kids mean rated R movies."
"Wow, so many possibilities, what will we watch?" she teased.
"We'll think of something." He kissed her cheek quickly, before leading Thor to the back door. "We've got time tonight."
Rory gathered her stacks and walked to the front desk. She had a day off from work and Rory decided to spend the day helping her mother at the Inn. It was harder to see her mom these days, as they were both so busy and her mom was older, but Rory still tried to find the time. She stood off the side as Lorelai finished with the guests, handing them a list of Stars Hollow attractions.
"All done, my darling daughter?" asked Lorelai with a smile as Rory ambled up to the desk.
Rory handled the stack of informational pamphlets to her mother, who stepped away from the desk to arrange them on the nearby table. "Of course, exactly the way you asked."
"Now, would you like your reward?"
"Ooh, I am intrigued," Rory gushed.
"Well, stop. It's some leftover cookies."
Rory shrugged as she followed her mom to the kitchen. Dragonfly cookies were always great. "Fine with me."
They took their cookies with them as Lorelai led her to the benches out front. It was a beautiful fall day, the trees bright with autumn colors. Rory loved being back in her childhood home, but she came here for a reason. She needed clarity. Maybe she was overthinking things. She needed her mother.
"Mom, I have to ask you a personal question," Rory began quietly. "Do you get bored with Luke?"
Lorelai held back a chuckled as she chewed. "Honey, we are a boring couple."
"No, you're not. "
"We are," Lorelai countered with a smirk. "We're older. We get up. I bug him for coffee and pancakes, he complains about my diet. He goes to the diner, I go to the inn. We eat dinner together, make fun of Taylor if we go to meetings, and then we go to bed. But there's no one I'd rather be boring with." Lorelai leaned over, knocking her shoulder into her daughter's when Rory didn't reply. "What's wrong babe?"
"I'm worried about Logan and me," Rory muttered as she stared at her jeans.
"Has he done something?"
"No, nothing like what you're thinking." Rory looked up, meeting her mother's eyes. "I fear our marriage is suffering. That it's going to disappear."
Lorelai tilted her head, her forehead creased in confusion. "Are you falling out of love with him? Fighting too much?"
"No, just… it's dumb. Forget it," Rory brushed off, her mind racing, trying to find a new topic to discuss.
"I know it's just me on the outside looking in and it doesn't mean much, but from being around you two - you two appear to have a great marriage. But I know appearances can be deceiving."
"We're boring."
"There's something to say about being boring. If you wanted exciting, you should have been a Hollywood star constantly in the gossip magazines."
"We barely do anything together, just the two of us. We went out Saturday night and could find barely anything to talk about," Rory explained.
"I find that very hard to believe with how much you talk."
"Well, don't," Rory mumbled, shuffling her feet on the dirt, kicking pebbles.
"Rory, is there something else going on?" asked her mother with concern.
Rory took a deep breath, her shoulders falling as she looked back out on the inn's grounds. "It's the people we're around - couples we know getting divorced, others jetting off to romantic places. Three couples have gotten divorced on our street since we moved there. After talking with them about what led to their decision, I got scared." She paused, looking back to her mom with a fearful look. "I don't want the same to happen to us. I don't want us to get left behind in an endless rut."
"Relationships are more than what you see on the surface. You can't live with that fear that you'll join them."
"I can't help it. It's everywhere. Statistics say half of marriages end in divorce," Rory said diplomatically.
"Well, I can't say I couldn't see this coming." Lorelai fell against the back of the bench. "You have me as a prime example of that statistic. Rory, your dad is your dad. He has always been the way he is. I knew better but went through it anyway. But, I'm glad tried," she shrugged, before her mouth lifted in a smile. "And we know how long it took Luke and me. Let's be honest, Logan didn't have the best example of a marriage either. You had one long-lasting, stable relationship to look up to growing up – your grandparents," she ended, her smile growing tinged with sadness.
"Even grandma and grandpa got separated for a bit!"
"And then they got back together. Marriage is multi-faceted, always changing, but if the fundamentals of what makes the relationship work remain, it will be okay. It's not always sunshine and roses. You have to work at it. You always have a chance."
"I just wish it was like the old days. It was so easy then," Rory whispered, her mind wandering to the days in New Haven, long weekends with just the two of them.
"Why don't you two take a weekend trip together?" Lorelai suggested.
Rory looked up in alarm. "No, we can't do that! What about the kids?"
"Good thing it's convenient that they love their grandparents and we live so close," her mother responded flatly.
"I couldn't ask you to do that."
"Just think about it. Luke and I would love to do it. We could pick them up from school on a Friday, drive them back here. We have tons of things to do. I know Emma would appreciate the chance to go riding again."
"I'll have to think about it."
Lorelai stood, reaching down and grabbing her daughter's arm. "Come on," she instructed, pulling Rory to her feet.
"Where are we going?"
"Let's convince Luke to make us giant milkshakes for lunch. Everything is better with chocolate," Lorelai said with a smirk, guiding Rory back into town.
"Logan!" exclaimed the male voice from across the table.
"Hmm?" Logan looked up, meeting the curious eyes of his Australian friend.
"Are you going to raise?"
Logan sat up further, frowning at the question. "Raise what?
"Focus, Logan," Finn instructed, nodding his head down.
"Oh." Logan looked back at his cards. No wonder he lost interest; it was a terrible hand. "Um, fold," he decided, throwing his cards on the table.
Logan sat back in his chair, sipping his drink while watching his friends finish the game. About every two months, the gang got together for a small poker game, a chance to catch up when they had a break in their busy lives. Tonight they were at Colin's, and Logan tried to pay attention, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
"Okay, break time," Colin said as the round was over. "I simply cannot sit here and pretend Mopey isn't at the table with us." He walked over to his bar, filling his plate with the snack food they all bought for the evening.
Logan looked around, following his friend. "What? Who?"
"He's alive!" chimed Robert, chuckling before drinking his beer.
"At last he speaks! Are we sure he hasn't been replaced by a robot?" asked Colin, as he walked back to the table with a platter of chicken wings.
Logan sighed. He knew he wasn't much fun tonight. "Let me get another drink." He walked to the mini-fridge, at first grabbing the Corona Light, but exchanging it with a Diet Coke. He had to go with the healthier option – he was watching his carb intake, after all.
"Logan, mate, is something wrong?" Finn asked as Logan slid back into his seat.
"Seriously man, you're killing the mood," said Robert in-between bites.
"What is this, Goodfellas?" Colin smiled as he licked sauce from his fingers. "Our lives aren't on the line here. Act lively, more jokes please!"
Logan turned over his poker chips in his hand, staring at the bright red color. "I have to ask you guys something," he began thoughtfully, twirling one chip between his fingers as he looked at his friends around the table. Out of nervousness, he started tapping the chip on the table, as he wondered if it was the best time to bring up the topic.
"Oh boy," Colin murmured, staring at Logan's hands.
Logan's hand paused as he noticed the concerned looks of his friends. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves. "Am I boring? Am I a boring old married man?"
Finn slid out of his seat, his beer bottle in hand, a pained look on his face at the turn of conversation. "Well, this night has taken a turn."
"Yes," Robert replied quickly – too quickly for Logan's liking.
"Great," Logan muttered, throwing the chip back in his pile.
"I didn't say that was bad," Robert added.
"Logan, you are the most normal, married family man at this table. Yes, it's a boring stereotype, but you, yourself, you're not boring," Colin reasoned with a grin.
Finn chuckled. "Your fashion taste, however –"
"Yes, thank you, Finn," interject Colin with a roll of his eyes.
"Why are you thinking about this now? Have a chicken wing," offered Robert.
Logan reached out to grab a piece off the plate. "Rory thinks we've become boring, and, well, I happen to agree with her."
"I would think with all the excitement the two of you have had in your past that you would welcome the boredom now," Robert argued.
Logan shrugged. "I don't know. It's made me think." Logan opened his drink, taking a long sip before playing with the can tab, flicking it back and forth. "Maybe she's right. Maybe we need to do something different. Be spontaneous for a change. Spice things up."
"And how do you suppose you do that?" asked Colin, intrigued. "First off, please spare us the dirty details."
Finn came up behind Logan, tapping his friend on the back as he returned to his seat. "I, for one, would love to hear those details."
"She said she missed some of the fun we had in college. So I'm going to think back to old dates." Logan picked up a chicken wing, taking a bite with a thoughtful look. "I'm going to brainstorm. I might even ask Lorelai for help."
"Well, let us know if we can help with ideas."
Logan smiled at his oldest friends. "Thanks, guys, I'll ask if I need it, but I think I have it covered. And Finn," Logan started, holding up his hand as the Australian opened his mouth. "Stop right there. I do not need your assistance at this time," he ended in a smirk.
"Your loss, mate."
Colin clapped his hands together, his smile replaced by his game face. "Okay, can we play poker now?"
Logan smile and shook his head. Some things hadn't changed after all the years, even their porker nights - although they were tamer than they used to be. "Fine, I'll deal. Hand over the cards, will you?"
AN: Theme for this story: In Omnia Paratus – also, Halloween (a little late, but still).
I have four other stories if you'd like to read more from me. An update to Strange Magic is coming soon. I also have another long story – These Foolish Things – which I'll also plug here. It is my favorite one to write and the most emotional, so I hope you'll give it a chance and tell me what you think.
Update May 2018: If you've read Ch 12 in These Foolish Things, you'll know by now that I had an accident of Fall 2017 that affected my memory. My main concern is trying to finish TFT, but I do want to finish this one as well. It will take me time to rack my brain to remember the plot I had planned for this story. So please be patient with me!